Nick Boles, the business minister, says that sanctions in some cases 'are a
worry' and may have to be reformed under a future Conservative government

A Tory minister has said that the use of benefit sanctions in some cases is "inhuman" and suggested that a future Conservative government could "make a change".

Nick Boles, a business minister, was confronted by charity volunteers over the sanctions after being told that a mother was penalised for staying overnight at a hospital when her baby was in intensive care.

His comments appear at odds with the government's official position that the benefit sanctions system is effective and does not need to be overhauled.

According to comments reported in the Grantham Journal, his local newspaper, he said: "With some of these cases it seems to me that there is an inhuman inflexibility that is imposed on them … The sanctions are a worry, and do need to be looked at.

“In the run-up to the election there is not a lot we can do, but we can get the case studies together where the sanctions seem to be most unreasonable … The beginning of a parliamentary term, when people are looking at things afresh, is the best time to make a change.”

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“I do understand why there needs to be a disciplined system and there needs to be a process they go through, but I do think there are too many of these cases where it does seem inhumanly inflexible.”

Downing Street has ruled out reform of the sanctions system and Esther McVey, an employment minister, has described them as "effective".

Last year a cross-party report endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury suggested that sanctions are partly to blame for the growing use of food banks.

After his comments Mr Boles told The Guardian that sanctions remain an "essential part" of the governments reforms of the benefits system.

He said: “Benefit sanctions are an essential part of our reforms to end the something-for-nothing culture and they have helped record numbers of people back into work since 2010. I am a strong supporter of them in both principle and practice – those who can work, should work.

“Of course, we need to make sure that the decision to impose sanctions is properly applied and employment advisers work hard to make sure special circumstances are taken into account.”